Dear
brothers and sisters in Christ,
We give
thanks to God because He makes sure to confirm to us on a daily basis that He
has called us and He has chosen us. We want this letter to be an offering of
thanks where we tell you some stories of how God gives us a daily pat on the
back and reminds us that His will in having us in His service is good. Glory to
God!
Last year
when we began our studies at the university, I met a classmate, Sandra, who is
Colombian and is married to an American. We knew each other for around 3
months, she and her husband came to Carpio around 3 times, and we began a
beautiful friendship. Last December, they invited us to go to Panama, where
they are living now. The way that they treated us and made us feel loved was
incredible, they took care of all of our expenses and it was a time of
refreshment. While we were there, they told us that they had a car in Costa
Rica that they weren’t going to use and that they wanted to give it to us. It
was a huge blessing because for a few months we had not had a car and we took
too long to get to the university campus and church. We have had the car for a
few weeks now. Even though I try not to be materialistic, I cannot describe how
marvelous it has been to have a car again, we can do so much more with our time
now because it doesn’t take an hour and a half to get to campus anymore; now it
only takes us around 25 minutes.
For some
months we had a 17-year-old girl, Michelle, living with us. She was living with
a family of missionaries that went to the United States for 6 months and she
could not go back to her family. We let her stay with us, with a little fear
because it was more expensive in every sense, but at the same time remembering
that God would take care of everything. Well that is exactly how it went;
during that time God made sure that we were not lacking anything. Even more, I
firmly believe that we are in “His business” He supports us in a surprising
way, and that is exactly how it was during all of those months. Michelle has
already gone back to the missionary family that returned, and even though we
miss her, we know that God has marvelous plans for her
About a
month ago, I had a day where the whole world went into crisis, I was supposed
to help a student with her boyfriend and her mom, another student with
problems- honestly it was a day completely full of chaos. At 5:30 when we were
on our way to campus, with tears in my eyes I told Alvin that sometimes I was
worried about spending so much time resolving issues without knowing if the
Word that we have planted in their hearts was bearing fruits. My expression
was, “I feel like a firefighter, I’m only putting out fires.” About an hour
later in class, I looked at my Facebook messages and one of my students had
written me. He is a student that has parents that use and sell drugs and steal,
and he is fighting against his family because they don’t want him to study, to
the contrary, they want him to do what they do.
The message
said, “Chio, I can’t take it anymore, I want to end my life, but I am looking
for your help because I have found in you and Alvin the family that I don’t
have and I know that you can help me.” I felt fear and anguish, so I called him
immediately. We talked for a good while and the next day we met up for a while
and we saw each other constantly to spend time together. But what I really want
to get back to is wow, God’s humor and His way of acting is so unexpected, that
in a moment of anguish God answered my doubts through a suicide note. How faithful
is my God, how sensitive that He listened to me in the middle of my doubts and
fears and made sure to remind me that His will for my life and Alvin’s is good,
pleasing and perfect.
A few weeks
ago, Alvin was talking with one of the boys who was in the newspaper when we
had the activity with the Costa Rican soccer team. The boy told him, “Alvin, I
am proud to see my picture in the newspaper. When my friends and family end up
in the newspaper it is in the crime section because they are killed or someone
killed them. But my story is different, I am in the sports section.” I think
that as a team, we are sucessfully impacting the lives of so many boys and
girls and introducing them to a God that, when He enters their lives, does
marvelous things. He changes people and their stories as we would never think
possible.
So there
are a lot of life stories that remind us that He has called us with a purpose,
and that the work done in His service no is in vain. If we did this same job
for ourselves, we wouldn’t accomplish anything, but He reminds us that He chose
the most unworthy places in the world to show His power and greatness. Who
are Alvin and Chio? Why are they so special? Who is the team that works in Carpio? Why are they so extraordinary? I’m
sorry to let you down if you were waiting for a good response, but we don’t
have anything, we are no one. Wait- we do have something- we have sin, pride,
ego and many other things that are part of our human nature. And as sinners,
God chose us and when he shows us how weak we are is when we remember that we
would not accomplish anything without His power showing itself through our
weakness.
I am not
lying to you when I say that many times I have wanted to resign, many times I
have wanted to throw in the towel when I see that I am surrounded by other
human beings who have as many defects as I have, but God has made sure to renew
our strength every day. He through text messages or messages on our Facebook
walls has reminded us with the words of the boys and girls of La Carpio that
His will is to have us here. It doesn’t matter now weak we are because He
chooses the weak to defeat the strong of this world.
I think a
lesson that we learn every day (and I say every day because sometimes we
forget) is that when we think that we are doing everything right, that we are
too good, it is time to think and remember that we are here because we are weak
and because there is nothing special about us. But the little that we have in
the hands of God turns into something big and powerful, with the ability to impact
lives. Now my question for you all, my friends, is why did God choose you? Is
it because you are too good or He is too good?
Again, we
want to thank each and every one of you for being part of this ministry. Without
you all on our team, none of this would be possible. Thanks for letting God use
your prayers or offering for us. Every prayer, every thought, every word of
encouragement and each offering has made this dream a reality. You are very
important to us, from our heart, thank you!
We would
like to tell you some good news and prayer requests that we have in the most
concise way possible:
·
Three
of the students in the Institute passed their exams to graduate from high
school and for the first time, we have students who are graduating from all of
high school. Pray for the process of trying to get into college.
·
We
have 2 computer labs, and they’re beautiful! Pray for the classes that start
this next week.
·
Our
visa application to go to the United States to visit our supporters was denied,
we pray for provision and a positive response in the next appointment that we
might have.
·
We
have a ton of new volunteers! Pray that they will be a blessing and that we can
bless them as well.
·
July
25th-29th we will have a camp for the leaders, we pray that it will be a time
of refreshment where we spend time together as brothers and sisters.
·
The
students have taken their exams and we are waiting for results, let’s pray for
the next semester.
·
Some
plans that we have and will be telling you about soon, we pray that God gives
us direction.
